


Atherion

by Princess_Aria_Night



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-05-20 21:57:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14902778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Princess_Aria_Night/pseuds/Princess_Aria_Night
Summary: That was the deal he'd made with his father. No-one could know his real identity.In Atherion he was Chat Noir the first player to step foot on virtual soil, but in real life he was Adrien Agreste heir to the fashion empire and social outcast.He had a feeling his alter ego was going to be his favorite of the two.





	1. The new world

**Author's Note:**

> Atherion is the worlds first Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. (VRMMORPG for short) It has been released to 1000 players living inside of Paris as a beta test before releasing it to the world. The first of it's kind, a console worn as a visor, that allowed your subconscious to use each one of your senses in a virtual world. Once you fall asleep with the visor in place the console will transport your conscious to the realm of Atherion while your body rests. Essintially acting as a vivid dream, a player could adventure for 8 hours straight and log off just to wake up and be completely rested in real life, ready to get up and start the day. Still in it's testing phases the concept has already gained praise acrossed the globe. Parents could allow their children an outlet of freedom with their friends, their own world, yet know they were completely safe and guaranteed a full nights rest.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **First time ever writing ANYTHING for public reading.. Be gentle.. And let me know what you think.

Sliding his hand down the vendors table, allowing his fingertips to lightly brush the side of each blade, he couldn't help but marvel at the variety available. This was turning out to be a bit harder than he'd originally planned. Luckily he was the only one here, so he could take all the time he needed.

He was searching for the perfect weapon. The swords he was used to in the real world were light and quick, perfect for someone with a high agility skill. But he didn't want to just be quick, he wanted to be strong, which meant he needed a weapon with more to it than the fencing swords he was used to. With his mastery of the sword style it would be foolish to convert to something as dramatically different as a two handed greatsword or an axe. His perfect weapon of choice would be designed to hit with enough force to cause substantial damage but still light enough for him to be able to weave and dodge incoming hits as well. 

He ran a hand through his messy blond locks as he silently pondered his choices. His father would never approve of his current state of dress but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. 

He had finally come to the decision that he would probably need a heavy style rapier when the cheery voice of the Blades Merchant interupted his thoughts.

"Welcome to Warmaidens! If you wish to learn more about an item and it's available customizations simply tap the center of the item to open the information window!"

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Great, I've been here long enough to reset the vendors monologue.. I guess I'll just pick something simple to level with and I can upgrade once I've increased my stats.." He tapped a slender rapier and the blades statistics menu opened on a flat blue hologram hovering a few inches above the item. 

"Hmm, this blade seems to be designed for it's speed but lacks any real hitting power.. That's not going to work. I need something in the middle." Knowing full well that the shopkeeper was not real and therefore uninterested in his self monologue he spoke mostly to himself, a habit he was used to from being alone for the majority of his life. While selecting different weapons and comparing their statistics he allowed his mind wander again.

Most of the new players will be selecting heavy hitting weapons like a warhammer or a greatsword, the ones uncomfortable with direct combat would be selecting a magic item like a staff or wand. It was natural for them to want to play it safe. Especially with the introduction of virtual reality gaming. The consoles creator promised players "The ability to feel the gust of air against your face after dodging a direct hit from an enemy." So far the game selections had been fairly mild, a few racing games, a fairly popular dancing game, and a handful of simple apps turned VR like fruit ninja and duck hunt. All spectacular games ahead of their times however nothing particularly mind blowing enough to explain a company delivering a thousand free consoles to the youths of Paris. In order for the company to make a move like that he knew they had to be planning to use the teenagers as a beta testing group for something huge.

And just as he had guessed, the reason for such a minimal selection had turned out to be because the creators were working on a game like never seen before.

A whole new world. 

Atherion. 

A fantasy game where monsters roamed, dungeons had to be captured and players could be whomever they wanted to be. They could fully emerse themselves in the worlds largest MMORPG. However the idea of close range combat with said monsters had many gamers nervous. When the system allows your brain to register all your bodies senses in a game, everyone is wondering what it will feel like to get hit during battle. So after the games beta testing was announced to be released soon a popular gaming site had published a blog explaining the best ways to level your character while still maintaining a feeling of safety until you became comfortable with the game. Everyone agreed.

He smirked to himself as he scanned the stats on a heavy rapier with a double edged blade. He had no plans on following the normal system. He tapped the blade again and selected the small green symbol on the screen.

"Thank you for your purchase Chat Noir! The Witch Hunters Rapier can be located in your inventory! Visit us again soon!"

Chat glanced at the small numbers located to the bottom right of his field of view. "Ouch, now I don't have enough gold for new gear.. Guess I need to get back to it if I want to get out of these rags." He gave a dissatisfied glance at the flimsy starters gear he was wearing before heading for the road out of the city. 

He was glad that he'd had a full week of leveling with noone else around, he wasn't used to being around others and was much more comfortable learning the basics without the other 999 beta testers swarming the starting city with him. He frowned to himself, it's not that he wanted to be anti-social, more that he was socially awkward to say the least. Being confined to his fathers mansion with all of his human interactions being on his fathers payroll made for a certain difficulty with the social norm. However, while his father was difficult at the best of times he had never expected him to not only allow, but to gift him with an early copy of Atherion VR. 

He stopped just outside of the towns outskirts and equipped his new blade. It felt heavy in his hands but perfectly balanced as well. He took a few practice swings and eyed his first target, a low level monster that resembled a large rat with spines protruding from its back. Positioning his body into his fighting stance, one foot forward and the other planted firmly beneath him his blade drawn and pointed at his newest target, he waited, finally his target turned its back to him and he charged. With quick reflexes he dodged each attack and was able to defeat the beast with two strong hits to it's back and side. He quickly decided he liked the feel of his new weapon. 

The familiar blue hologram menu opened in front of him to let him know that his agility and strength had both increased and he had a new item drop waiting to be added to his storage. He tapped a button to accept the item and then closed the window. He planned to collect as many items as he could to sell in town. Hopefully he would collect enough to buy new gear before the games beta released. He didn't want anyone to see him before he was able to buy at least basic gear to help hide his identity. He chuckled to himself thinking his father would kill him if he could see the rags he was wearing now.

His father had connections all over the world. As the owner of the largest fashion empire, naturally when a multi million dollar production company needed a virtual worlds worth of clothing designed, he was the one they turned to. Not only did he design hundreds of unique outfits that could be modified to the users preference, he also helped create an in game skill that allowed players to create their own designs. The skill was similar to the bladesmithing or armor forging skills in that it had to be leveled. The only thing he could create currently was a pair of woolen gloves, however he planned on leveling the skill later to create a unique outfit for his new alter ego. 

That was the deal he'd made with his father. No- one could know his real identity. 

In Atherion he was Chat Noir the first player to step foot on virtual soil, but in real life he was Adrien Agreste heir to the fashion empire and social outcast. 

He had a feeling his alter ego was going to be his favorite of the two.


	2. Night Stalker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for being a bit slow. I have so many thoughts about how this story plays out and I want to make sure I do it justice. That and I have no idea what I'm doing! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Chat carelessly kicked his feet beneath him as they dangled over the edge of the clock tower he had perched himself on. Atherion was set to launch in an hour and he wanted a good place to view the new players without having to deal with direct contact. The clock tower provided the perfect opportunity since it was located in the town square. That and not many people would be staring up at the time during their first night spent in Atherion. 

Glancing around the empty square he prided himself on reaching his perch. Of all of his new skills his favorite was shaping up to be his ever increasing agility. The higher his level got the more he could push his virtual body to do. It was amazing. His targets could never land any hits on him. By the time they struck he was already flipping overhead or sliding beneath them to deliver his final blow.Ignoring his first few blunders while leveling, he had yet to receive any major damage during a fight.

However outside of a fight the skill was very useful as well. He could run faster, jump higher and perform a multitude of feats he would never be able to accomplish in real life. 

Which is exactly how he had ended up on top of the clock tower. Listening to the minutes tick by, wasting time until the launch, he lazily scrolled through his game menu. The interface was amazing and they had left plenty of room for additional content down the line. He stopped scrolling once he reached the world status page. 

His eyes drifted to the same place as always.   
Third line from the bottom.  
**Player count online: 2**

He had noticed it a few days ago while searching for a help guide on clothing design. He didn't know why it bothered him. It was simply that if anyone else had been logged in with him the past week he should have seen them by now. But he was always alone. It was an eerie feeling. 

He closed the world status window with a shake of his head and checked the time. He had 20 minutes until the game went live. Making the familiar circular motion in the air with his index and middle finger he watched his character menu open before him. 

In the middle stood a small holographic version of his character. He tapped the small avatar and scrolled through the choices presented in his armor window. He had been leveling his clothing design skill. While he wasn't anywhere near the Agreste standard, it was still fun to design simple things and watch them come to life.

He found the item he was looking for and clicked the button to equip it. Materializing onto his body, he was suddenly cloaked in black. It was a full length hooded coat that fit his form well. The base design was simple and sleek but once the hood was pulled it gave the wearer a very daunting appearance. The cloak itself was useful for hiding his identity, however it’s attributes were what really completed the task. 

The cloak had been crafted with a special enchantment called Night Stalker. It's main purpose was to be used on boots for the stealth classes in order to sneak up on an enemy. It allowed the user to move silently without being detected. After playing around with different clothing items Chat had found that it had a unique effect when used on a hood. It created what could best be described as a shadow mask across the top half of his face. While there was no true physical mask, it made for a very effective means of hiding his identity. The only thing not hidden in shadow were his eyes, the natural green shone brightly against the contrast of the dark surrounding them. 

With his new outfit equipped Chat eyed his small avatar self. He couldn't decide if he looked more like a villain or a hero. He didn’t want to scare anyone away but it was too late to change anything now. The new players would be arriving any minute.. Suddenly as if hearing his thoughts, the clock tower chimed to signify the start of a new hour.

Chat took a deep breath and settled back into a comfortable position. “Here goes nothing.”

With determined eyes he watched as the first player materialized in the town square. A tall boy with dark hair looked around excitedly, he seemed to be expecting something. A split second later another boy his age logged in a few meters away. They greeted each other with a high five and a flurry of words that he couldn't make out. He presumed they were thrilled about being the first ones to log in. Chat couldn't help but smile at their genuine excitement as they ran off. 

By now two minutes had passed and the square was starting to fill up with the voices of friends greeting each other. Some hung around in groups waiting for the rest of their friends, others immediately ran towards the market to pick up their starting gear.

All the while Chat watched. He’d never had real friends. All of his interactions with anyone outside of his home were closely monitored by his bodyguard. No-one was allowed to get closed to him. The only real time he got to socialize with others was during his photoshoots. In the beginning he had tried to be friendly with the other models. But he found that the boys were very prude, and the girls were a bit pretentious and clingy. If he were to be honest he’d never really wanted friends because of the way his fellow models interacted. But not all people could be like that could they? Chat frowned at the thought.

Straightening himself up he decided that was exactly what he was going to find out. He stood and walked carefully to the corner edge of the tower. He crouched down with his knees out to either side and his hands on the ground in front of him. He chuckled to himself at his cat like position thinking if he had a tail it would be flicking. Shaking his head to stop his mindless wanderings Chat focused again on the people below. Carefully leaning forward he gripped the edge of the ledge and observed the crowd below. 

The end of the first hour of Atherion was coming to a close and Chat had still not moved from his spot. No one had even noticed the hooded boy perched upon the clock tower. Or so he thought. 

He lazily scanned the remaining crowd one last time before getting up to teleport. That was when he'd realized that someone had noticed him after all. 

A figure with a cloak pulled tight around their form was watching him from the ground. While he couldn't see any defining features, he could tell by the small petite frame that the figure was a girl. The only thing he could see was her eyes, staring straight back at him.

Feeling like a deer in the headlights and not knowing what else to do, he returned her stare. The girl seemed to be studying him. He suddenly felt very exposed. Beginning to panic Chat wondered if she had somehow recognized him. Then he realized it was quite possible she was just wondering who this boy dressed in shadows was and why he was creeping from the top of the tower. Yeah that was probably it.

Still startled by the fact that someone had caught him, he broke eye contact and quickly opened his map. He selected the next town over knowing it would be a day or two before anyone else reached it. 

But before letting his finger tap teleport, he cast one last glance to where the girl had been standing. She hadn't moved. Her eyes still watching him with intent. Without looking away his finger came in contact with the screen and he was gone. 

~~~

As soon as his feet touched the ground Chat immediately fell to his knees on the soft grass. His hand went to his chest. Why was his heart beating so fast? His memory flashed the image he'd been staring at only seconds ago. 

Those eyes. 

He felt like she hadn't just been looking at him, but into him. Straight into his soul. He shook his head to clear it and got to his feet. 

This was why he needed to practice socializing. If something as simple as catching someone else's gaze startled him so badly he really needed help..

As he walked the road through town he couldn't stop thinking about her eyes. They seemed to have had so much hidden in their gaze. He'd never seen anything so captivating before. He wanted to kick himself for running away. Maybe he could have made a friend.

It would be weird to teleport back and find her now that he'd run off. He wasn't quite sure how he looked to her, but he was sure it wasn't a great first impression. But even knowing he'd made a fool of himself he still wanted to try. 

It didn't matter that he hadn't seen her face. He would remember those eyes anywhere. The image flashed through his mind again.

Piercing blue eyes.

He smirked to himself as he sauntered out of town. “I'll find you again miss, you can count on that. Maybe next time I'll even get your name.”


	3. The Self Proclaimed Defective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your amazing feedback so far! I truly appreciate every single one of your comments! 
> 
> And I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

“Well that was.. Odd..” she murmured to herself as she continued to stare at the spot where moments before the boy had been. 

~~~

_1 hour prior_

 

Marinette had been in utter awe at the beauty and detail of the game since the moment she had logged on. And since she had plenty of time to waste while waiting for Alya, she had decided to spend her time exploring the town. Sadly she couldn't leave as she knew full well her friend would kill her if she began leveling without her.

After mulling around and visiting a few shops she located the non-player character, or NPC for short, responsible for giving players their first set of starting gear designed for the class they chose. Marinette had taken plenty of time and finally settled on a stealth class. Collecting her items from the NPC she thanked him with a smile and began the walk back to the town square to wait for Alya. As she walked she began equipping her new items. Passing by the window of a shop she caught her own reflection and couldn't help but burst out laughing. 

“Ooh very brooding!” Marinette commented to herself as she pulled the hood up and made a stoic face at her reflection. The dark cloak and twin daggers just seemed very over the top to her. She laughed again before turning to continue on her path towards the square.

Marinette had carefully deliberated on which class to choose before settling. She figured stealth would suit her the best as she was used to dealing direct damage in other games but she really didn't like the idea of getting hit to often. Alya wanted her to choose a magic class as she was planning to do, but they just didn't appeal to her. 

Thinking of her friend she wondered when she would arrive. Alya had said she would be an hour late, as she had to watch her siblings while her mom worked an extra shift. And since she knew Marinette and her reputation with video games she had made her promise to wait. 

She glanced up at the town clock to check the time. She had been logged in for almost an hour and figured Alya should be logging on in a few minutes. As she was about to look away a small movement caught her eye. Studying the tower again she noticed there was a figure crouching down on its edge. It was a boy dressed in a black coat with the hood pulled over his head. She followed his gaze to a group of players still standing in the square. 

Looking back to him she tried to focus on his face and she realised there was something off. While she could tell he was well built under his unique cloak, she was having difficulty trying to make out his features. She knew it wasn't the hood pulled over his head because he was facing the sun. So while she knew her face would be hidden in shadow she should have been able to see him perfectly. But the only thing she could see for certain were his eyes. 

His eyes however told her plenty. As he watched the group of friends break out into laughter at something one of them had said and she saw longing in his eyes. And even though she didn't know him, she felt the urge to comfort him. 

Watching him gave her the feeling he didn't have anyone to enjoy the game with, but at the same time it felt like something more. Almost like he had wanted to seclude himself. She scrunched her nose at the thought of playing a game like this solo. It seemed so.. Lonely. 

But why else would he be sitting on a tower not even an hour after launch were no-one was bound to notice him. He should be out in the field enjoying the brand new world he was now a part of. But instead he was hiding.

She continued watching as he continued to gazed longingly after the group of friends as they headed off to the market street together. 

After they were out of sight he slowly turned his gaze back to the courtyard. His eyes stopped moving when they met hers. For a split second she felt the full loneliness hidden in his eyes, then it quickly morphed into another emotion. Shock. Shocked that someone had been watching him. That someone had caught him.

Marinette suddenly realised she was being slightly creepy herself, but considering he wasn't innocent either, she refused to look away. She was interested in him. And judging by the look in his eyes he was intrigued as well, but then she watched as he slowly began to panic. 

That was when she knew her first instinct about him was right. He definitely wasn't used to dealing with people. An act as simple as catching someone else's gaze had flustered him beyond belief. If she were being honest she would say he almost seemed too terrified to look away. 

Suddenly, he broke eye contact and quickly opened his menu. She was surprised at how easily he navigated the system as it had taken her 5 minutes just to figure out how to equip an item. She watched as he selected a page that turned into a 3D map spread out in front of him. He zoomed in on a small area and hovered his finger above the screen. But just before touching it he paused. He seemed as if was thinking about something. She cocked her head slightly and waited.

Then he looked at her. Something was different in his eyes. This time he seemed almost curious. But just as she was about to smile, he let his finger touch the screen and he vanished. 

She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

“Well that was.. Odd..” she murmured to herself as she continued to stare at the spot where moments before the boy had been. 

“What was?” Marinette nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice so close to her. She quickly turned to glare over her shoulder at her friend, upset that she hadn't even heard her approach.

“Jeez, Alya warn a girl!!” She shouted as she grabbed the cloth covering her heart in an attempt to calm herself down.

“My god Mari you're too dramatic.” Alya laughed and waved off her friends over the top response like it was nothing new. 

“So what exactly was this _odd_ thing that has my dear Mari so captivated?” She leaned in eagerly wiggling her eyebrows.

Marinette let out an annoyed sigh and turned away from the tower and towards the girl.

“Alya, you agreed. This game is supposed to help, it's the only reason I agreed to play.. Which means no analyzing my every move.” She shot her warning a look before turning to face the market.

“Now let's go get you equipped, so we can start playing, before I really lose my mind!” Smiling over her shoulder she watched the gears working in the reporters mind.

Alya raised an eyebrow at her and then cast a glance at the clock tower that had been so interesting just moments before.

Apparently she hadn't noticed the boy. That was good, the last thing Marinette needed was the self proclaimed detective Alya trying to pry into nothing. Because that's exactly what it was. Nothing. She would probably never see that boy again, and if she did, what were the chances he'd recognize her? She glanced at the tower that Alya was currently focusing on. 

“So..” Alya began. Marinette groaned. She could hear it in her voice. She was going to dig. Turning back towards the market she wanted to drop the conversation before it could start. 

“Whatever it is you're thinking Alya, the answer is no.” 

Silence was the only response she got. Marinette slowly sighed and turned again to glance at her friend. She had a hand on one hip and a devious look in her eye.

She could tell she wouldn't like where this was going.

“What?”

Alyas lips came up in a satisfied smirk.  
“Were you planned on keeping those gorgeous green eyes to yourself then?” 

Before Marinette even had time to respond Alya had bolted, heading towards the market with Marinette chasing after her.

“ALYA! You brat! This is why I avoid your questions you know!” The only response she got was laughter as they ran through the crowded market. 

Following the bush of red hair bobbing and weaving its way through the crowd she kept up the best she could without running into anyone. She found she was much less clumsy here than in real life. She silently thanked the creators for improving her natural hand eye coordination. 

Finally the girls came to a stop at the familiar NPCs stall.

After catching her breath, Marinette flicked Alya firmly on the arm and laughed when the girl let out a yelp. However, Alya still had a smirk on her face when she turned to see Marinette glaring at her with her hands on her hips.

“For the record, I have no idea who that boy was. He was simply sitting on the tower watching other players and he happened to notice me before he teleported away. It's not my fault you took so long getting here.” 

“Mmmhmm” was her only reply.

“Oh my gosh your ridiculous, just hurry up and pick your gear.”

Laughing to herself Alya began tapping on the different items and muttering about how amazing the interface was.

Marinette began tuning her out thinking back to the first time they had played a Virtual reality game together. It was a dance competition game similar to Dance Dance Revolution however you were in a club and facing your opponent. The glowing symbols would appear on the ground for you to hit and the players went in turns. Basically a dance off. While Marinette had no confidence to do so in real life she had learned that she lived to dance, and she was good at it. In fact she had been good at every VR game they had tried so far. She just wished she could bring that self assured feeling to her real life. 

“Earth to Mari! Hello!” Alya snapped her fingers in front of her face. 

Realizing she'd completely spaced out she gave a nervous laugh and apologized as she scratched the back of her neck. “Sorry, I got lost in thought.”

Alya laughed. “Yeah I noticed. And I don't blame you. I mean I couldn't see much but from a physical standpoint your green eyed kitty was a hotty.” Mari immediately threw her hand over Alyas mouth and glanced around wildly. 

“Oh my gosh Alya could you be any less thirsty! And what's with the kitty comments!?”  
Prying the hand from her mouth Alya continued her laughing. 

“Oh come on you can't tell me you weren't thinking it with the way he was sitting up there. He looked like a sexy Tomcat until he saw you and lost his **entire** mind” Releasing the obviously insane girl from her grasp Marinette turned to leave.

“I'm done! I'm officially leaving you to struggle through this game alone. Have fun dying repeatedly without me there save you!”   
She let out a huff and began dramatically walking away.

Upon seeing Marinette's retreating form Alya realised her friend was serious. She quickly selecting the magic class she'd wanted and accepted her items before running to catch up with her friend.

“Mari wait! You know I love you! You can't leave me! I promise to only bring up your kitty when absolutely necessary!”

“Alya!” A loud smack and a shriek was heard echoing back into town. Laughter soon followed only dying off when they were finally out of earshot. 

They hadn't noticed the figure watching them from the corner of the shop. He waited until they were completely out of sight before turning and making his way back through the market. No one so much as looked his way as he passed through.


	4. A painful past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *waves*
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Placing his boot against the chest of the small warbear Chat kicked the body off of his sword. With a burst of light the creature disappeared. Looking around at his surroundings he noticed the meadow was finally cleared. 

He'd been working on leveling all night long and finally clearing the area was a feat he was proud of. But sadly the creatures here wouldn't respawn for a while. 

Glancing at the small text in the top right of his screen the time showed just past 5am. It would take him an hour to walk back to town since teleporting was only available in non combat zones. 

Opening his main menu, he decided it wouldn't hurt to wake up a bit early, and tapped the logout button. He watched as the fantasy world around him began to slowly glitter and dissolve away. Once the last of the colorful world had vanished and only darkness was left Adrien opened his eyes.

Staring at the inside of his visor he allowed his eyes to adjust to the light before removing the headpiece and setting it on his nightstand.  
Laying back in his bed he felt content simply staring at the ceiling. He knew a knock would be coming from the other side of his bedroom door soon, a reminder of his real world duties. What he'd do for only a fraction of the freedom he had in Atherion in his real life. Maybe he could finally make some friends, or even just one friend. 

Adrien smiled at the thought, it would be nice to have a friend. He'd made no real headway with meeting anyone in game and it's been a week since the games been out. But he'd made it to the next town, which would have been cool, if he had anyone to tell about it. By now the others would be reaching the second town. He had run into a few players in the field but no-one really payed him any mind. Having no-one to share his time in game with was getting to him. 

Still laying on his back he tucked his hands under his head and turned to look at the pictures on his desk. Smiling back at him was his mother. His mom would have loved the virtual world. She'd always felt guilty for not spending more time with him outside of work. But he never blamed her, however he couldn't help but wish that he'd had more time with her. The kidnapping had been so sudden, but then weren't they all?

His mother had simply not returned home from a late night at the office. The city of Paris had been on high alert for weeks. The only clue they ever got was a portfolio left on his father's desk a week after her disappearance. The photos appeared to have been taken by a professional. His heart hurt for his father whenever he thought about it. The biggest reason he'd never resented his father for how protective he was over him. He couldn't imagine the torture. 

His eyes began to well as he remembered the day Nathalie had told him the contents of the file. 

\--  
__

_He'd been particularly difficult to deal with the weeks prior. But that night he'd stepped over a line he hadn't even known was there. He was young and lonely and he missed his mother. In the heat of the moment he made a mistake. He accused his father of being selfish, keeping the portfolio of his mother's last images to himself._

_He never saw his father's reaction to his words. He hadn't even known where she was in the room, but she must have been close. There was no other explanation for how quickly Nathalie was towering over him. Forcefully grabbing him by the arm she yanked him from the study and lead him to his room._

_Once they were inside Adrien had whirled on her ready to defend his spiteful actions, but his words caught in his throat. Nathalie was never one to show emotion, but in this moment her guard had dropped and he could see the impact of his words on her. Her expression was one of empathy and her eyes were beginning to gloss over with moisture._

_He'd never forget her words. “You're father never wanted you to know, he wanted you to remain as hopeful as possible. But it's been 5 years, and I can't watch you two fight like this anymore.” Her voice was beginning to crack and she tooth a deep breath._

_He opened his mouth to speak but her hand shot up immediately, cutting him off. He could see the determination in her eyes as she cleared her throat and straightened her back. “You'll never be able to see the photos Adrien. I personally destroyed them at the demand of your father the day they were found.”_

_He immediately felt the anger surge through him at her words. With his fists clenched tight he unleashed his frustration on her._

_“WHY!? He had no right! She was my mother! Why couldn't I just see her one last time!?”_

_Stone faced Nathalie simply looked down at him with resignation before she spoke again._

_“That portfolio contained 13 images of your mother. The photographer had portrayed her like a work of art. Her hands were bound behind her back, her feet were tied, and her mouth was gagged. She had tears streaming down her face, she was covered in blood and badly bruised. Your father waited for weeks but no ransom demands ever came. He didn't tell you because he wanted you to remain hopeful that she would be found.”_

_She looked down at her tablet for a moment before continuing._

_“Dinner will be brought to your room tonight. I'm rescheduling your afternoon lessons to tomorrow morning. Good evening Adrien.” She then turned on her heel and left._

_He wasn't sure how long he'd stood in that spot, or when he had slumped to the floor. But he vaguely remembered being lifted and placed in his bed, and the scent of a warm meal coming from somewhere nearby._

_That night Adrien re-lived his mother's disappearance again. The only change was now he knew the truth. His mother was never coming home. He'd always argued with the pessimistic views on her return but now he knew why everyone else had given up hope._

_The police had told them that she was most likely dead. The presumption was that she had been kidnapped for ransom, as the wife of one of the wealthiest families in Paris. But before a ransom demand could be made something had happened. The popular theory was that she'd been killed trying to get away. She'd never been one to give up or back down to a challenge. It was natural to assume that if she had been murdered that she'd go down fighting._

_He'd clung to the frame of his mother's picture like a lifeline. How could his father bear this pain for all these years? Who would have wanted to hurt such an amazing woman? Why her?_

_Clutching the picture to his chest he'd fallen asleep with tears still falling. That was how Nathalie had found him the next morning._

_He'd winced when he felt the dip in his bed the following morning, knowing that she was angry with him. So when he felt the dampness of a soft cloth touching his face he'd been startled. He turned to look at her and could see by the red of her eyes and dark circles beneath that she hadn't slept well either. He remained quiet as she wiped the crusted tears from his face. When she was done she sat back and forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes._

_“I'm sorry Adrien. I'm so sorry you had to find out this way, but you have a right to know. And you deserve to know why your father is so protective of you. He loves you. And he doesn't want to lose you.”_

_She placed a hand on his shoulder for a moment before standing._

_“I'll let your father know you're not feeling well. Today's photo shoot can be rescheduled until you're feeling better.” She picked up her tablet from his desk and began typing as she left the room._

_As he rolled back into his bed he felt a sharp pain. Reaching under himself he pulled out the picture frame he'd been holding. The picture was the last image they'd taken together. A few days before her disappearance at the local park. He'd been running and she was chasing him, when she finally caught him in her arms she'd swung him around to show her husband their smiling child and he'd snapped a photo. Her golden hair was frozen mid swing and both of their faces lit up. Her face was sweet and loving as she smiled at her husband and his was a large toothy grin._

_He pulled the photo to his chest again, holding it close._

_That was his last happy memory of his family._  
  
\----

Laying in bed he stared at the same picture of his mother swinging him around. It was a distant memory now. He still missed her, but he no longer cried every time he thought about it. It was just a part of his life.

His father had never been the same after his mother disappeared. He had placed Adrien under constant watchful supervision. Even hiring Nathalie, his mothers best friend and own personal assistant, as Adriens new assistant. Nathalie had accepted the job, stating that she would have never allowed anyone else to help raise her godson anyways. 

Adrien had to admit she was fantastic at her duty. She scheduled and monitored every move he made from the time woke until the time he fell asleep. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Most people would get frustrated with a “living shadow,” as he'd heard the other models call her, but if he were to be honest, her presence comforted him. She was the closest thing he had to a friend, and knowing she was his mothers best friend made his mom seem a little bit closer. It was selfish of him but he was glad she had taken the job. Even though it meant her sacrificing her own life for the past 10 years, it meant he was never truly alone.

Adrien was already smiling when the knock on his bedroom door came. He gracefully hopped over the foot of his bed and padded towards his bedroom door. 

“Good morning Nathalie!” he greeted as he swung his bedroom door open for her to enter.

“Good morning Adrien, as chipper as ever this morning I see.” She quickly strode into his room without ever looking up from her tablet. 

Anyone else would have missed the smile she tried to hide as she began giving her morning briefing. She had once told him his ability to remain cheerful throughout the hardships of his life made her job seem easier. Since then he'd always made an effort to make her smile as often as possible. It was a game of sorts for him. 

As Nathalie was finishing up explaining Adriens after lunch activities for the day, he raised his hand. Looking up with a puzzled expression she stopped her speech. 

“Yes Adrien?”

“Do we have any plans for lunch?”

She looked down at her tablet to confirm her answer.

“No, if you wished to make a suggestion that's close to the photoshoot location I can schedule it in.”

“Ice cream.”

He smiled at her frozen expression before she looked back up at him, trying to make sure she heard him right.

“I'm sorry?”

“Ice cream Nathalie. Let's go get ice cream.”

By now he could feel his face spreading into a large grin. And she simply looked puzzled.

“I'm not sure that's entirely wise for your diet Adrien..”

“Oh c'mon Nath! We used to get ice cream all the time, and do I really need to be on a diet!? Look at me!” 

He struck a pose just for good measure. But he knew he had a point. His body fat index was something to be marveled at. He perked up when he heard her sigh. 

“Fine, but you're eating a light dinner.” She tapped a few buttons and continued. “Any place in particular you'd like to visit?”

He tapped his chin while rocking back onto the balls on his feet. “Well, there is one place I really want to go.. But I'm not sure where it's located. Andrés is the name I believe.”

She smiled at his obvious excitement. “Leave it to me to find him. I'll meet you downstairs once you're ready. We'll be leaving for your morning lessons in 28 minutes.” 

Watching her leave he had no doubt she'd find André. The kids he'd overheard talking about the man never mentioned where to locate him, but he had faith in Nathalie.

Quickly rummaging through his closet and selecting his attire for the day he couldn't hide his excitement. Sure he was looking forward to having dessert for the first time since his birthday last year. However he was mostly interested in the rumors of Andres ability to help find your true love. 

He checked his reflection in the mirror before running out of his room. He could see the visual difference in his face already, he looked so much brighter than usual. He gave himself a quick encouraging smile and hurried to the door. 

Something about today was different, he could feel it. He simply hoped the change was for the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me. It had to be done for story development!


End file.
